Post navigation

Singers – Presentation Tips

So you’re thinking, what the hell – do you want me to sing my powerpoint presentation? Maybe yes, if you want it to be memorable, but then again it could be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Singer and bands drag themselves above the plethora of also-rans by rehearsal: constant practice of every intro, outro, lick, riff, harmony, pause, feel against a backdrop of light and shade. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock’n’roll.

Songs can transfix us in time – first love, being with friends, travelling overseas. They are a strong and powerful influence. One technique songwriters use is to incorporate musical and lyrical hooks.

Musical hooks are generally called “riffs”, a repeated musical phrase that form the essence of a song. Think of the major riffs from:

Queen – We Will rock you : just drums

AC/DC – Long Way to the Top: ronka ronka guitar chords

Guns’n’Roses –Sweet Child of Mine: Rolling Stones Magazine’s best guitar riff of all times

The Knack – My Sharona: drums and bass

Because they’re repeated so often they become embedded in our minds. Repetition is important to the success of a song.

Similarly with lyrical hooks – repeated words you can’t get out of your mind from the beautiful to the banal:

Most popular songs are relatively simple: simple in their message, simple in their communication and simple in their structure. Also each word is precious. The words in a song are required to convey complex emotions (or not) in a very short space. Don’t use superfluous words and keep your presentation structure simple. Don’t confuse your audience.

^Keep it Simple

A successful song not only has a subject, but also an angle or a theme. For instance the brilliant Dolly Parton Song “I Will Always Love You”, made famous by Whitney Houston has as its subject breaking up, the theme being the title of the song. Imagine the song without the theme lines. It would tell the story, but not be anywhere near as powerful.